THE TWO GUARDIANS

[Illustration: “Stay here, Marian! I don’t care if all the world heard
me.”]

PREFACE.

In putting forth another work, the Author is anxious to say a few words
on the design of these stories; not with a view to obviate criticism,but in hopes of pointing to the moral, which has been thought notsufficiently evident, perhaps because it has been desired to convey,rather than directly inculcate it.

Throughout these tales the plan has been to present a picture of
ordinary life, with its small daily events, its pleasures, and itstrials, so as to draw out its capabilities of being turned to the bestaccount. Great events, such as befall only a few, are thus excluded,and in the hope of helping to present a clue, by example, to theperplexities of daily life, the incidents, which render a storyexciting, have been sacrificed, and the attempt has been to make theinterest of the books depend on character painting.

Each has been written with the wish to illustrate some principle which
may be called the key note. “Abbeychurch” is intended to show the needof self-control and the evil of conceit in different manifestations;according to the various characters, “Scenes and Characters” was meantto exemplify the effects of being guided by mere feeling, set incontrast with strict adherence to duty. In “Henrietta’s Wish” theopposition is between wilfulness and submission—filial submission asrequired, in the young people, and that of which it is a commencement aswell as a type, as instanced in Mrs. Frederick Langford. The design ofthe “Castle Builders” is to show the instability and dissatisfaction ofmind occasioned by the want of a practical, obedient course of dailylife; with an especial view to the consequences of not seeking strengthand assistance in the appointed means of grace.

And as the very opposite to Emmeline’s feeble character, the heroine
of the present story is intended to set forth the manner in which aChristian may contend with and conquer this world, living in it but notof it, and rendering it a means of self-renunciation. It is thereforepurposely that the end presents no great event, and leaves Marianunrecompensed save by the effects her consistent well doing hasproduced on her companions. Any other compensation would render herself-sacrifice incomplete, and make her no longer invisibly above theworld.

October 14th, 1852.

CHAPTER I.

”With fearless pride I say

That she is healthful, fleet, and strong

And down the rocks will leap along,

Like rivulets in May.”

WORDSWORTH.

Along a beautiful Devonshire lane, with banks of rock overhung by tall
bowery hedges, rode a lively and merry pair, now laughing and talking,now summoning by call or whistle the spaniel that ran by their side, orcareered through the fields within the hedge.

The younger was a maiden of about twelve years old, in a long black and
white plaid riding-skirt, over a pink gingham frock, and her dark hairhidden beneath a little cap furnished with a long green veil, whichwas allowed to stream behind her in the wind, instead of affording theintended shelter to a complexion already a shade or two darkened by thesummer sun, but with little colour in the cheeks; and what there was,only the pale pink glow like a wild rose, called up for the momentby warmth and exercise, and soon to pass away. Still there was noappearance of want of health; the skin was of a clear, soft, fresh shadeof brown; the large dark eyes, in spite of all their depth of melancholysoftness, had the wild, untamed animation of a mountaineer; the face andform were full of free life and vigour, as she sat erect and perfectlyat ease on her spirited little bay pony, which at times seemed so livelythat it might have been matter of surprise to a stranger that so young ahorsewoman should be trusted on its back.

Her companion was a youth some ten or eleven years her senior,
possessing a handsome set of regular features, with a good deal offamily likeness to hers; dark eyes and hair, and a figure which, thoughslight, was rather too tall to look suitable to the small, stout, strongpony which carried him and his numerous equipments, consisting of a longrod-case, a fishing-basket and landing-net, in accordance with the linesof artificial flies wreathed round his straw hat, and the various oddlycontrived pockets of his grey shooting-coat.

In the distance at the end of the lane there appeared two walking
figures. “Mrs. Wortley!” exclaimed the young lady.

“No, surely not out so soon!” was the answer. “She is in the depth of
lessons.”

“No, but Edmund, it is, look, and Agnes too! There, Ranger has better
eyes than you; he is racing to them.”

“Well, I acknowledge my mistake,” said Edmund, drawing up his rein as
they came upon the pair,—a pleasing lady, and a pretty blue-eyed girlof fourteen. “I did not believe my eyes, Mrs. Wortley, though Mariantried to persuade me. I thought you were always reading Italian at thistime in the morning, Agnes”.

“And I thought you were reading Phædrus with Gerald,” said Mrs. Wortley.

“Ay,” said Agnes, “we did not know what to make of you coming up the
lane; you with your lance there, like the Red Cross Knight himself, andMarian with her palfry for Una.”

“The knight must have borrowed the dwarf’s ass,” said Edmund, laughing,
and putting his lance in rest.

“And where have you been, then, at this portentous time of day, Agnes?”
asked Marian.

“We heard a report of Betty Lapthorn’s child having another fit,” said
Agnes, “and set off to see; but it turned out to be a false alarm. Andnow we are going up to the Manor House to ask Lady Arundel if she hasany arrowroot for it, for ours is all used up.”

“Shall we find her at leisure?” added Mrs. Wortley.

“Yes,” said Marian. “Gerald has finished his lessons by this time.
Mamma thought it would be too far for him to go with us, and besides hefrightens the fish.”

“Which you are in too good training to do, Marian,” said Mrs. Wortley.